Monday, May 14, 2012

I Really Get Tired of Old vs. New Arguments

Now, I'm not just talking My Little Pony G1 vs. Friendship is Magic. I'm talking Old vs. New in any medium.

"They don't make movies like they used to!" "Hollywood too obsess with remakes!" *sigh*

Being of the mindset that not all of the greatest movies have been made yet, I have this to say: shut up. Hollywood has always made remakes and adaptations. Hell, some of the greatest films in history are either historical or based on a book. Ben-Hur, any well-made Shakespear movie, The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Lord of the Rings, and many others. My point is, you're obvious accentuating the negative here. Bad and/or uncreative films are made now, and as Mystery Science Theater 3000 has proven, they were also being made when your granddaddy was a kid.I'm not saying that remaking movies isn't out of control: it is, and always has been. Period.

"All kid's shows are mindless and safe fluff!"

EH, maybe earlier in the 2000s, but cartoons are definitely coming out of that. Just take a look at Avatar: The Last Airbender, the new Thundercats, G.I. Joe Renegades, MLP:FIM, and others. There is nothing pandering or overtly safe about any of these things. Between them, we've had on-screen killings, issues that would never have been touched on before...being touched on, biohazards, human experimentation, loss of limb, genecide, brain-washing, and torture.Take off the nostalgia glasses and actually take a look at what is being made now. You'll find Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles aren't among the few big boys in town anymore. That said, both of those will ALWAYS be among the big boys.

"TV needs to stop making new incarnations of old franchises! They're raping my childhood!"

With exceptions, most of these arguments that pop up are completely unfounded (Faery-Star being one of the exceptions for having the understandable desire to see more new things get made). Your childhood is untouchable. It was what it was, yesterday, was what it was today, and will be what it was tomorrow. If the foundations of your precious childhood memories are so easily shattered by Lion-O and Tygra being brothers, well then...you need to get out more. Plain and simple.Frankly, I don't mind G.I. Joe, Thundercats, and other old properties being brought to newer generations. Would anyone other than you and maybe your parents even remember them without their respective companies bringing tham back and renewing interest in them?Oh, and old does not always equal better.